Property taxes: we all have to pay them. But there is never a need to pay excessive taxes. These two options will ensure you do not pay beyond your share in property taxes: homestead exemptions and protesting your home’s value.
Homestead Exemption
Be sure you’ve claimed your homestead exemption. Claim it once, and it’s yours for the rest of the time you live in that house or your status does not change. Also look at the other available exemptions to see if you qualify.
What if I’m not sure if I’ve claimed the exemption?
Look your property up. Run an internet search on “[Your county] property tax search.” The result will likely be a .gov site or have the intials “CAD” in the name, like hcad.org, for Harris County. The site you find should have an option to search through properties in your county, and the results will tell you if you’ve claimed the homestead exemption.
Is it too late to claim the exemption for last year’s taxes?
You have until one year after the delinquency date for taxes on your home. File the application for homestead exemption now.
Protest your home’s value
Every citizen has a right to equal and uniform taxation. The craziness in the economy combined with the fact that properties are not appraised every single year makes it likely that your property might be overvalued.
If you think your property is taxed above its value, look at our series on protesting property taxes.
Do you have more great tax articles like this one?
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Glad you liked it Sam
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